FBI busts global sex trafficking ring with Australian outposts

The FBI has shut down a global web-based Asian sex trafficking ring with outposts in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane as well as other cities worldwide.

Supermatchescorts.com is among the dozens of websites shut down and boasts of "companions" including "Asian Amy" and "Asian Jenny" being available to its customers.

The website has been shutdown by the FBI

Sydneyasianescorts.com and melbourneescortss.com have also been shut down, and visitors to the site are now greeted with an image of the US Department of Justice's logo and a warning that "THIS WEBSITE HAS BEEN SEIZED".

The FBI says that these women were not escorts, but victims of sex trafficking from China.

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Prosecutors in the US will allege the sex trafficking ring worked like a call centre, with customers contacting "dispatchers" via encrypted messages and the alleged syndicate keeping a database of 30,000 customers worldwide from previous visits with prostitutes.

Supermatchescorts.com paired customers and sex workers, the website said before it was shut down.

"You’ll always be greeted by a friendly, supportive voice at the other end of the line when you call our number, and that voice will be absolutely committed to steering you into the right companion connection when you call."

On Friday afternoon, the number had been disconnected.

Canadian man Zongtag Chen is accused of masterminding the global syndicate and recruiting women to work in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and other cities, while Chinese national Weixuan Zhou, 37, is accused of registering and maintaining the websites.

Mr Chen was arrested in Toronto, with police expecting to extradite him to the US to face charges. Mr Zhou has not been arrested and is thought to be in China.

"These advertisements typically featured scantily clad Asian women, under the guise of being 'escorts', which were, in fact, advertisements for illegal prostitution," the indictment states.

The syndicate also allegedly used individuals to rent hotels and apartments to turn into brothels.

No arrests have been made in Sydney. It is understood that the websites are hosted out of the USA.

The FBI says that vulnerable women were exploited by traffickers cashing in on cultural isolation by profiting from the sale of sex.

"Trafficking adults for sex can at times be overlooked by our society because some believe the adult victims have a choice," said Billy Williams, US Attorney for the District of Oregon.